Salford City Council virtually wipes out grey fleet mileage with car pool scheme

A pool car scheme has helped Salford City Council reduce grey fleet mileage by 95 per cent, saving £400,000 in the process.

In the past, council staff used their own vehicles for company travel and claimed back business mileage costs. However, a pool of Co-wheels car club vehicles was introduced around two years ago to cover the bulk of business travel.

The petrol-powered Toyota Aygo and Yaris vehicles are also available to hire by members of the public in the evenings, and there are now plans to expand the scheme across Greater Manchester, Fleet News reports.

Before the Co-wheels car club was launched in the region, the council’s workforce was racking up 1.7 million business miles a year – the equivalent of driving 40 times round the earth.

Councillor John Ferguson, lead member for workforce and industrial relations at Salford City Council, realised it was time for change and called in Co-wheels to provide and maintain a fleet of 39 eco-friendly cars at 13 sites across the city.

"These are used by council staff during the day for business travel and are then available for residents to hire during evenings and weekends,” Mr Ferguson commented.

“We’ve cut business miles travelled by car, saved more than £150,000 a year and 478 tonnes of carbon every year.”

To further boost its eco credentials, Salford City Council is also encouraging staff to cycle to work by improving shower facilities, as well as introducing a salary sacrifice scheme to enable staff to buy bikes.

Stephen Hasley, brand manager at The Fuelcard People, adds: “Salford City Council should be commended for its efforts to get a grip of grey fleet mileage.”